A phenomenological exploration of the lived experiences and human and social capital among older adults using emergency shelters: implications for the counseling profession

The number of older adults experiencing homelessness has increased in the past years. This is due to a host of reasons, such as aging while experiencing chronic homelessness, broken social networks, and loss of a spouse. However, interventions that focus on ending and preventing homelessness are heavily concentrated on housing supports, such as availability of affordable housing. Although housing can ameliorate some ramifications of homelessness (e.g., physiological and psychological issues), it fails to address the psychosocial aspects of homelessness (e.g., breakdowns in social networks and access to financial resources). Understanding homelessness at the intersection of aging is necessary to identify skills and resources to address psychosocial aspects of homelessness. The intention of the current study was to further the knowledge of support systems to which older adults have access because support systems are associated with improved well-being and long-term conventional housing.

Using a sample of 15 older adults experiencing homelessness in an emergency shelter in the Midwest, the researcher qualitatively explored the human and social capital among the group. Data from in-depth interviews revealed that older adults’ experiences of homelessness and their support systems were complex and variable. The findings of the study also suggest that the experiences older adults participants of this study ranged from maladaptive behaviors (e.g., poor decision making) to positive outlooks for their future. Overall, both their human and their social capital are impaired, and they require interventions that address psychosocial aspects of homelessness, such as loss of social ties and financial insecurity.